What to do London

The month of April is not only the first full month of British Springtime, but it also marks a special day for her Majesty. Thats right, this month Queen Elizabeth will be celebrating her 90th birthday!

Elizabeth II turns 90 on April 21 but also has an official birthday in June

The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year: her actual birthday on the 21st of April and her official birthday on a Saturday in June. Not many are fortunate to have two birthdays a year!

The tradition of having 2 birthdays dates back to the time of King Edward VII, who’s real date of birth fell in November. Naturally, he preferred to celebrate it during the sunnier months of Summer and decided to hold his birthday parade, known as the Trooping of the Colour, during May or June.

The special day for Her Majesty will be marked by gun salutes all around London at mid-day: in Hyde Park, Windsor Great Park and at the Tower of London. Make sure you are here for the celebrations and book your Private London Tour to make sure you have the best seat in the house!

We wanted to send a huge birthday greeting to Her Majesty for being such a great ambassador for the United Kingdom and for all the great work she has done over all these years. Thank you for being a brilliant Queen!

Young visitors on our tours have also been celebrating: here are a few words and drawings made by children on our family friendly London tours, congratulating the Queen.

Isn’t this beautiful? One of our young visitor’s painting of the Queen celebrating her birthday – Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria (from left to right)

God Save the Queen – Great work from Clarie Robertson, age 12 on her visit to London

The sunshine has finally made its way back to London. Without doubt, the spring and summer seasons are fantastic times of the year to visit the capital and always help make outings and day trips that much better!

Big Ben looking glorious in the London Spring Sun

So what are we looking forward to over the coming months? Well to begin with, there’s:

– Strawberries and cream at the Wimbledon Lawn tennis club
– UEFA Euro 2016 Football. Its been four years since the last tournament: catch the best matches on big screens all over London or for the more adventurous, pop over to Paris to see the games live with our friends at Paris Magical Tours.
– Music festivals, garden parties and lunches at roof top terrace pubs

– The horse racing season, including Royal Ascot: ladies in fine hats and dresses and gentlemen in tails

– Royal Celebrations: The Trooping of the Colour to celebrate Her Majesty’s 90th birthday and the Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle: a stunning display of British tradition at its very best.
… and last but not least: more more hours of sunshine goodness!

London will also host for the very first time the London Games Festival. Celebrating everything from culture, art, the business of games and video games – there is something for everyone including workshops, activities and the largest Monopoly board in Trafalgar Square!

Did you know that the Queen is lucky enough to have 2 birthdays? That’s right: although Her Majesty’s official birthday is in June, the Queen’s actual birthday falls on the 21st April. Look out for gun salutes being fired in Central London to mark the occasion.

Why not book a day out in London and spoil family and friends this Spring 2016? To make sure you have a wonderful experience this Spring, make sure to visit London Magical Tours to find out all about their fantastic days out.

Now that the christmas festivities and new year celebrations have drawn to a close, January is the perfect time of the year to purchase gifts and even spoil yourself with a spot of shopping in London.

In the last few years shoppers would normally have to wait until January for the sales, however it has become more common for sales to start during the weeks leading up to the new year. From the 26th of December (Boxing Day) through to the end of January you can expect to find sales and save a fair amount, with certain stores boasting a saving of up to 70% off retail prices.

London, being one of the biggest fashion and retail capitals of the world has lots to offer. From department stores such as Harrods and Selfridges to smaller independent stores, you are sure to find the best for everyone.

London Magical Tours is offering an exclusive VIP shopping experience so that you can make the most of your time during your visit to the capital. Skip the big crowds and shop in style!

As we near the end 2015, we delight in being able to announce the winners of this year’s Children’s Art Competition for both the over 10 and under 10 years old categories.

Children on London Magical Tours’ trips and excursions are given the chance to enter this fun competition which is run annually, drawing or writing all about their favourite London experience.

Smiling faces! Children with their entries for the 2015 Art Competition

The London Magical Tours judges had a very difficult decision to make given the quality of this year’s entrants: it was no easy feat choosing from the hundred of standout entries. In the end though, they managed to narrow it down to a select group of finalists.

So without further ado, here are the winner and runner up entries for the Children’s Art Competition 2015:

Winner 10 Years and Over: Goes to Joan Matthew age 11, Massachusetts. Written during one of our Magical Christmas Tours in December, Joan tells “Father Christmas” all about her action packed day in London, including when she got to see Her Majesty The Queen. What a lovely letter!

Winner Under 10’s: What an amazing effort from Aiden Zinke from Maryland – aged just 6! His beautiful description of seeing the Cullinan Diamond at the Jewel House inside the Tower of London warmed the hearts of all the judges.

Congratulations are due for all the prize winners. Stand out entries to have also made the final four included:

Claire Robertson age 12, from Texas. The judges loved reading how Claire recalled seeing the horses at the Royal stables (the Royal Mews) and how much of a highlight this was for her personally, as well as this wonderfully colourful piece of art by Claudia Sitjar age 5, from Barcelona, Spain.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered for such great effort and work. Gifts and prizes are on their way to the lucky winners.

Would you like to enter next year’s competition? Read all about our London Tours for children with London Magical Tours for a fun and educational day out.

The Victorians practically invented Christmas !

Love Christmas? If you don’t already know it – London is spectacular at Christmas. Cards, carols, crackers – even Dickens. Yes, Dickens’ Christmas Carol of Scrooge and Tiny Tim fame. The Victorians practically invented Christmas as we know it.

If you are lucky enough to be visiting London during the festive season you’ll certainly be in for a treat: from the bright lights of Regents and Oxford Street, to the ice rinks and Christmas trees spread all across town, here’s a quick rundown of some of our favourite London festive lights to help get you in the spirit.

Covent Garden Plaza:

Steal a kiss under the mistletoe by the famous christmas tree of Covent Garden for that perfect Hollywood moment. Don’t forget to take a visit to the market for some great gift ideas and enjoy a fun stroll down the Candy Cane walk, amongst the fragrances of roasting chestnuts and mulled wine.

Regent Street& Oxford Street

Look out for the traffic free weekends taking place throughout December at what is one of the world’s best locations for Christmas lights. Thanks to ACT Lighting Design (the team who have previously worked on the Champs Elysees, Paris), Regent Street will look absolutely spectacular once again this year. Expect music and special guest appearances throughout the season – and would Christmas in London really be Christmas without a visit to Hamley’s toy store?

Carnaby Street

Carnaby Street are putting on a Christmas party for shoppers this year. Shops, bars and restaurants are also offering savings, so make sure to grab a bargain while enjoying the light shows. And if that was not enough, live music and DJs are sure to keep everyone on high festive spirits throughout the season in this quirky London neighbourhood.

The Royal Exchange

For a more traditional christmas tree, the huge tree at the Royal Exchange found in the City of London is hard to beat. What’s more, the East London Chorus choir will be supplying Christmas Carols for all at its official switch on this year.

If you’re looking to learn about Christmas in London and take in the beautiful holiday lights (along with many off the beaten path secrets), London Magical Tours is offering the chance to discover the best of the holiday season during their London Christmas Lights Tours through November and December until the 6th of January 2016. Make sure to book your visit and make this a christmas for all the family to remember!